Advice on starting to play with strategy!! (from a nooby!)

[craynerd]

Dear All,

I

[Mr. Checkers]

Contact Dr. John Reade who's address I have emailed to you. He will take care of all your draught needs. Ms. Becky

[craynerd]

Thankyou for your help, i have e-mailed. Looks like just in time for the next meeting!

Chris

[Ingo_Zachos]

Do you know what I did 1 and 1/2 year ago?
1. I took little stickers with the numbers on and put them on a chess board (in Germany they only sell chess boards). I also bought a small magnetic board that fits on one page of a book, while you r playing over the other. You can use a permanent marker to sign them with the numbers . After some games and positons you played over you will understand the system for it is easy and you won't need the numbers anymore.

2. At the same time play online.
Yahoo has the most players and you can get a game anytime you want if you are a beginner. But for learning purpose try Itsyourturn.com, where you make a move a day or so for any game, and write down the thoughts you had, when you made a move and store these "analyses" for every game in a folder. Write down if you made a mistake in red colour!
That way I soon grasped the "practical" side of the game.

3. By studying books you will also increase your "theoretical" knowledge about the game.
I would recommend to buy Richard Pask's "Starting out in draughts/checkers", who shows even more of these "trix" like the two for one in different settings, with many examples to study and a few exercises to solve if you like, and Robert Pike's "The little giant encyclopedia of checker puzzles"which contains hundreds of trix.
But solving puzzles is not necessary, understanding them is essential and to see them in a game on the board is the greatest reward a beginner can get, believe me!

The trick you a referring for accurres surprisingly often, for instance after 1. 11-15 23-18, 2. 8-11. If your opponent plays 2.- 21-17 you play 3. 9-14! and after the rejoinder 18x9 you play 4. 5X21 "winning" as you just learned.
Another option of that shot is: 1.11-15 21-17 and now the move 2. 12-16 runs into...
... u guessed it, 2.- 24-19, 3. 15x24 28 x12 "wins".
Another two for one already in the opening is the famous opening 1. 9-13 22-18 and now 2. 5-9 is the choice of many beginners running into 2.- 18-15!! and for now 3. 11x18 23x5 wins a piece, so he or she may play 3. 10x19 first, but after 3.- 24 x15! 4. 11x18 is forced and you win a piece by 4.- 23 x5. This is another setting where the two for one can be used with great effect just after a few moves.
To spot something like that is called "pattern recognition", and it is easier done if you saw many examples, it's just like leaning to swim: you make the movements with the hands and legs outside the pool first!
So working through the books mentioned will be an exercise that prepares you for a practical game, so you might not drown!
You see, after some weeks you will spot those chances of getting a two-for-one almost "automatically" in different settings with even the board crowded with men! (you learnt to swim)

But before you win game after game there is no way to avoid "Blood, Sweat and Tears" . But even the greatest players on earth started "getting thaught their lessons"...

Afer just a year I was able to score 50 percent in a tournament against masters and grandmasters, so you can do it, too. And I was 35 when I started, so you see: age does not prevent learning !

Greetinx from winter-cold Dortmund, Germany

Ingo Zachos

[kiwinurse]

Well said Ingo, you explained very well.For myself , i found the books very puzzling too when i started and felt very much as though i was the only one that felt that.I found Basic Checkers by Richard Fortman, the best for me to study from,because hes such a great narrator,and the book is entertaining as well as a learning tool. You can be absolutely surrounded by books,but your brain can only take in so much.Robert Pikes little book, "the little giant encyclopedia" is great, simple and easy to understand,and he has a beginners book out which he uses for classroom learning,and which ive taken into schools.My best lesson in checkers is losing,it teaches me more than anything else,and keeps me humble,which is a good thing.

[craynerd]

Thankyou very much for your response. I think i was looking at the books too literal and now realise these patterns will occur on the board with more than the required men on the board, as long as they are out of position!!
The example i gave, with 6 men on the board, i never even realised it could be almost a starting situation to a game, as you have described!!

So i thank you, and take your advice. I have made contact with John at the address above and will hopefully attend the LDA meeting tomorrow!

Thanks again

Chris

PS. Ingo - i have learnt more from you in an hour reading and re-reading your post and playing out the moves than i have in almost a week of reading books!!!!! I now realise however, as i have already said, the moves in the book are being given with the mimimum men needed to win the exchange!

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Hi, Chris !

I don't have enough information to give you professional advice. For instance - I don't know your age. Different age require different steps to master the game. But in general, if you are older than 15 and younger than 70 - here what needs to be done.

1. For the first 12-18 months stay away of any book and play online only or real games.

2. In online play be selective with your opponent. It has to be someone with level close to yours with no big gap.

3. Don't play very fast or long games. 3-5 minutes per game is ideal. Ideal site to play - Microsoft Zone and few other, as Ingo mentioned.

4. Find a local checkers club in your area. There is one in Manchester, and you also can contact with John Reade.

5. Visit this club or meet with John or someone else on regular base - once a week.

After 18 months I will tell you, what to do next. Again, remember - no books allow for the first 18 months.

The main strategic idea of game - giving your pieces more freedom. Try to play through center and occupy more territory - in general it works better, than taken a border squares (flanks), but be careful and not allow opponent to trap your pieces.

Strong / weak center strategy covers 60%-75% possible situiations.

Respectfully,

Checker player

[craynerd]

Thanks again for the advice. To answer your question, i`m 22.

I get fed up with yahoo games checkers, when you start playing a little slow for a few shots to think, they just quit the game.

I

[craynerd]

John,

Many thanks! I presume with you telling me to look on ebay for a while first you would prefer to keep hold of your second copy therefore, i`ll wait a little while to try and get one and if no luck i`ll get in contact. What sort of price does it go for normally, i can`t find any even in "completed items"?

Chris

[Bob Murr]

Chris,
Try the following link, it is a search of ebay for Lees' Guide, there are currently 3 available on ebay current lowest price is $4.99. Hopefully the link will work for you, if not just do a new search.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dl ... =&saprchi=

[craynerd]

Unfortunatley they are United States delivery only!

Chris

[Mr. Checkers]

Chris hundreds of copies of Lees' Guide come up on ebay every year so be patient and remember to buy a 267 page edition only, which is the latest Lees' Guide. Most of them sell for around $5-$15. And there are plenty of British editions of this book out there also, so check with your local antiquarian book dealer for them. Ms. Becky

[john reade]

Chris,

Can you phone me tonight? (Thursday) I will be out on Friday night.

John Reade.

[craynerd]

John,

Went out after posting the above message and only got back about a half hour ago, 11:30pm!!! Check your emails, can i ring Friday afternoon or Sat, Sun ?

Chris

[CheckersStrongplayer]

putting little sticker numbers is the best suggestion in my opinion because i did the same.